Promoting inclusion, understanding, and equitable access for people who rely on assistance animals.
In Australia, an assistance animal is an animal trained to help a person with a disability manage the effects of their disability and must meet appropriate standards of behaviour and hygiene in public
Practical training videos for staff in public-facing roles.
Animal Therapies Ltd offers customised training on Assistance Animal Rights and Responsibilities for customer-facing teams.
Assistance Animals Welcome Here (AAWH) is a national training and engagement initiative developed by Animal Therapies Ltd to assist customer-facing businesses respectfully accommodate people with a disability, accompanied by an assistance animal in their venue.
The program is tailored to meet the needs of an organisation and provide an overview of:
Email us and we’ll send the ATL Business Practice Standards Audit Tool to assess your current performance in delivering great customer service to assistance animal handlers.
Refusing access to assistance animal handlers can be unlawful. The Australian Human Rights Commission receives complaints about discrimination against people with disabilities who are accompanied by assistance animals.
Protect your business and improve customer service by ensuring all customer-facing staff complete training.
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Section 9 of the Australian Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) (DDA):
It is unlawful to discriminate against a person on the ground that they are accompanied by an assistance animal.
Section 9(2) of the DDA states:
An assistance animal is a dog or other animal:
(a) accredited under a law of a State or Territory that provides for the accreditation of animals trained to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of the disability; or
(b) accredited by an animal training organisation prescribed by the regulations for the purposes of this paragraph; or
(c) trained:
(i) to assist a person with a disability to alleviate the effect of the disability; and
(ii) to meet standard of hygiene and behaviour that are appropriate for an animal in a public place.
When an assistance animal enters your premises, it’s important to respond with confidence, respect, and the right approach.
What to look for?
Focus on what matters:
Remember, it’s about behaviour and function, not appearance or paperwork
Assistance Animals Welcome Here (AAWH) is a national online training and engagement initiative designed to help customer-facing business confidently and respectfully accommodate assistance animals and their handlers – while supporting compliance with the Disability Discrimination Act (Sections 9.2a and 9.2c).
ATL offers customised webinar training on Assistance Animal Rights and Responsibilities for customer-facing teams. The AAWH initiative has been specially designed for those working in retail, hospitality, transport, tourism, public events and venues, reception team, including dental, medical and hospital.
For further information email the DDA team.
Registered office Queensland.
ATL is an Australian health promotion charity registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission (ACNC) and holds Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status.
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Animal Therapies Ltd (ATL) acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we live, and their continuing connection to land, animals, waters and community.
We pay our respects to the people, the cultures and to the Elders past, present and emerging.
